Tibor Grasser
Biography
My first passion was boogie woogie and I spent more than fifteen years playing across Europe — Germany, France, Switzerland, the UK, and at home in Austria: Jazzland, the Bösendorfer Hall, Yamaha Hall, the Konzerthaus. I also released two CDs on Document Records.
I stopped performing in public between 2005 and 2023, and used those years to take my jazz playing further — now with a lot of stride and swing and a sprinkle of bebop, but always with a focus on melodic development and a strong sense of rhythm.
How I play today, and why jazz, blues and boogie belong together for me, is on the music page.
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1978
Begin of classical piano training
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1987
First exposure to boogie woogie: Boogie Woogie Session '76 with Hans Georg Möller, Axel Zwingenberger and Martin Pyrker
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1988
Attended first boogie woogie concert at Jazzland, Axel Zwingenberger. Wow! That's it!
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1989
Begin of boogie and jazz lessons with Hannes Otahal
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1990
First public appearance at “Boogie for Africa”, Vienna, Metropol
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1992
First concert at Jazzland, Vienna, together with Martin Pyrker
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1993
Television portrait in “Meister von Morgen” (ORF)
Starclub concert with Axel Zwingenberger, Martin Pyrker and Günther Straub
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1994
“Stars of Boogie Woogie”, Linz, Brucknerhaus, with Martin Pyrker, Axel Zwingenberger and Thorsten Zwingenberger
Regular appearances with the Boogie Quartet (with Henning Pertiet, Daniel Gugolz, Peter Müller)
Appeared with Vince Weber at the “Bierfink”
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1995
First CD Great Boogie Woogie News with Frank Muschalle, Martin Pyrker, Daniel Gugolz and Peter Müller released on Document Records; presented at the Starclub, Vienna
CD presentation at “Greif”, Wels
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1996
Invited to play at “les nuits de Boogie Woogie”, Paris
“Lange Nacht des Boogie Woogie”, Hamburg, Fabrik, with Axel Zwingenberger, Vince Weber, Frank Muschalle and many others
First concert at the Bösendorfer Hall, Vienna, with Frank Muschalle and Henning Pertiet
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1997
“Stars of Boogie Woogie”, Vienna, Konzerthaus, with Axel Zwingenberger, Frank Muschalle and the Mojo Blues Band
Jazzfest Wien
Jazzfestival Lenk, Switzerland, with Frank Muschalle
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1998
Second CD Kansas City Bounce with Daniel Gugolz and Peter Müller released on Document Records; presented at the Bösendorfer Hall
Bluesfestival Luzern, Switzerland, with Frank Muschalle
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1999
Ph.D. in electrical engineering (with honours)
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2000
Concert at the Jazzland, Vienna, with Daniel Gugolz and Peter Müller, alongside Daniel Ecklbauer and Wolfgang Pöll
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2001
Boogie session at the Jazzland with Daniel Ecklbauer and Wolfgang Pöll
“A boogie feast of two generations” at the Jazzland, in duo with Martin Pyrker
“Sweet Little 15” at the Jazzland with Martin and Sabine Pyrker — Sabine Pyrker’s first appearance there
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2002
Guest with the Frank Muschalle Trio at the Staudacher Musikbühne, Chiemgau, with Frank Muschalle, Daniel Gugolz and Peter Müller — played unplugged, at the audience’s request
Tibor Grasser Trio at the Jazzland with Markus Toyfl, Petra Toyfl, Daniel Gugolz and Peter Müller
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2003
12th International “Bohém” Ragtime & Jazz Festival, Kecskemét, Hungary
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2004
Boogie woogie festival at the Jazzland with Sabine and Martin Pyrker, including a DVD presentation
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2005
Last public concert for the time being — the start of a long artistic break
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2023
Comeback: “Blues & Boogie Night” at the Jazzland, Vienna, with Martin Pyrker and Sabine Pyrker
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2024
Concert at the Jazzland, Vienna
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2025
“Then & Now — Blues, Boogie Woogie & Swing of the 1920s to 1950s” tour with Henning Pertiet: Soltau (Bibliothek Waldmühle), Wietze (Büchtmannshof) and Hoya (Kulturzentrum Martinskirche)